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tv   Newsline  PBS  September 16, 2015 12:00am-12:31am PDT

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welcome to "newsline." it's wednesday, september 16. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. a u.s. think tank says leaders in beijing appear to be building three air strips in the disputed spratley islands in the south china sea. the analysis was released before next week's meeting in washington before u.s. president barack obama and chinese president chi jinping. images show that among seven
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that they've been claiming, a runway was created. china has created an area on subi reef. they said they are likely to construct a second airstrip there. they also said a third runway would be built on mischief reef where walls surround a 3,000-metre-long area. officials have been calling for an immediate reformation work. japan's foreign minister plans to travel to moscow next week. kishida is expected to lay the groundwork for a visit by russian president vladimir putin to japan that may or may not take place. he plans to meet his counterpart to discuss putin's trip and a dispute of four islands referred to by japan as the northern
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territories. he is also expected to hold an intergovernmental panel on trade. japan's prime minister shinzo abe and putin agreed to work with the russian leader visiting by the end of this year. but the foreign ministry says it's concerned it will not take place. they say several trips by high-ranking government officials to the northern territories in july could impact plans. they're hoping his trip will lead tie breakthrough in the situation. now, japanese self-defense force fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept what appeared to be a russian aircraft off the coast of the northern main island of ho hokk, hokkaido. they said the plane came from the north and flew between the plane's main island and
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kunashiri island. no warning shots were fired. kunashiri is one of four islands owned by russia and claimed by japan. they said it's an inherent part of japan's territory. it said the islands were occupied after world war ii. this is the first time in two years that a suspected russian aircraft has violated japan's air space. market players are waiting to see whether policymakers at the u.s. central bank will decide to raise the key interest rate at their policy meeting this week. however, there are some concerns. ramin mellegard joins us now from the business desk. ramin, there are worries how a rate hike would affect emerging economies. >> and that really affects them globally. they say a rate hike would have huge ramifications for foreign markets worldwide and that's especially the case for some emerging countries.
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they say a rise in the rate by the federal reserve now could lead to steep plunge in capital inflows to the emerging economies. a report cites an uncertain growth outlook for those countries after china's economic slowdown triggered instat sbili in certain markets. they also urged fed policymakers to consider the possible effects of their decision on the global economy. now, the latest retail sales out of the u.s. may be a factor in the feds' decision on the benchmark interest rate. retailers showed solid growth in august, and that's from stock prices stemming over china's economic slowdown. commerce department officials said retail sales last month totaled nearly $448 billion. that's up 2% since july. americans spent more on autos
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and super parts. they were afraid it could dampen purchasing, but it has had little effect so far. but market players are cautious. they want to see u.s. consumer price data, which comes out later on wednesday, as well as global economic trends. they say the fed policymakers may have a difficult time making their key decision during this week's meeting. following the retail data in the u.s., u.s. stock prices closed up more than 1% with the dow, closing at 16,599. for more we go to our business reporter who is standing by for us at the tokyo stock exchange. good morning. yesterday the bank of japan kept its current measures in place, and that of course affected stocks, but what are you seeing this morning? what's the reaction? >> good morning, ramin. stocks are looking pretty good.
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the bank of japan kept its monetary policy unchanged as expected, and the boj governor kept an optimistic view on the japanese economy as suspected. so stocks are rising after widely expected announcements from the boj. they are opening at nearly 19%, and the topix are opening at .73% ban hour after the opening. let's take a look at the whole region, how it's opening this wednesday morning. asian markets are looking pretty good. seoul is up 6%, and i'll show you s&p is bouncing to a low of almost 5%. and mayor turnbull failed to impress investors. they asked market players about the timing of rate hikes, and it
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fell from 18% from 70% last month, and nearly half of them think september is most likely. what's surprising is 25% think a rate hike is possible which wasn't even on the timeline, so uncertainty is growing day by day and making investors difficult to take any positions. ramin? >> exactly some indecisiveness there. basically investors inand see m meeting. still, u.s. stocks have staged an overnight rally. what's really behind all of that, mayu? >> the answer to that is low trading volume. traders say low trading volume ex aj rataggerates the daily mod after u.s. president barack obama imposed a measure to lift a ban on oil, and taking a quick
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snapshot on currenciecurrencies dollar fell to a low 110 yen and now it's bounced back to 124. back to you, ramin. >> mayu rishida reporting live from the tse. indonesian leaders have launched an ambitious program to reform the fishing industry. they believe the sector could help revive economic growth. the person they chose to lead this program is a woman determined to do everything in her power to get things done. nhk world has more. >> reporter: a chinese fishing boat pays the price for trespassing in indonesian waters, just one of two dozen foreign vessels blown up by the coast guard in may. they were sunk on the orders of this woman, marine and fisheries
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minister. she took over last october to stop illegal fishing, and she's kept her word. she's ordered the banishment of 35 more boats. >> corruption and whatever, and the numbers beyond that you can even think, there's nothing it could do unless it can sink the boat while they are doing illegal fishing. >> reporter: illegal fishing is a problem because offending boat owners don't report their catches. that means they're not paying their taxes. the other problem is overfishing. the intruders from china, thailand and other neighboring countries are exploding marine stocks already in danger of completion. it is costing indonesia $30
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billion a year. blowing up illegal vessels is not the only hard line measure. this is indonesia's largest port and known for ships hauling in tuna, but the catches here have gone down by a big margin. this is because the fisheries ministry stopped issuing licenses to foreign vessels and banned fish capture on the sea. a typical tuna boat usually goes out to sea for a month or two, offloading their catch onto big carrier vessels. this allows the boats to stay out longer, hauling in more fish at less cost. but there's something else going on. some catches are transferred straight to foreign boats, depriving government of tax, export duties and other revenue. susie has cracked down on the shadow export market. but foreign vessels are not the only ones affected. the ban on trading at sea is also hurting the local fishing
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industry. that's because local boats, legal or not, now have to return to port every day or two to unload fish. catches are down, costs are up. >> translator: the ban caused a 30% decline in catch volume between november and may. >> reporter: this is one of those affected by the rule change. he stopped operating two of his ten boats. he says his profits are down by half in the past two months. ekka has laid off 60 crew members. >> translator: the workers keep calling from their hometowns asking when they can go back to work. >> minister susie is traveling around the country to explain her policies to local fishermen. but there is frustration in the ports and it's growing.
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>> translator: our fishermen's association has been requesting a meeting with minister susie, but so far nothing. >> reporter: susie claims she's got illegal fishing boats on the run. her challenge now is to convince local fishermen they can ride out the storm. yuko fukushima, nhk world. >> that's it for business news this hour. catherine, i hand it back to you. supporters and critics of bills that would transform a japanese security policy are standing their ground. opposition lawmakers want the legislation to be tossed out. but members of the ruling coalition are pushing to enact it before the week ends. >> translator: we've reached the final stage. the bills are ready for vote to become law. the government and ruling parties must stay united and focused. >> translator: we think the only way to go is to scrap the bill. we strongly hope the government will change its position.
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>> the bills would expand the role of the self-defense forces and allow japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense. senior officials from the ruling and opposition parties in charge of diet deliberations hashed out their differences. yoshiaki takaki from the opposition democratic party said voting on the bills should be postponed so debate could continue in the next diet session. he said a large percentage of the public doesn't fully comprehend the legislation. but tsutomu sato of the ruling liberal democratic party said he thinks the bills will pass a final vote in the upper house this week. later, members of an upper house committee listened as five experts and a student activist gave speeches on the subject. professor kazuya sakamoto said the bills would serve as a strong deterrent and help to safeguard japan. >> translator: without a solid national security system, japan can't protect itself and its
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people, and if the country can't protect its citizens, it can't protect the constitution. >> but another scholar setsu kobayashi lashed the bills, saying they amount to war legislation. >> translator: if the bills are enacted, the cabinet can decide whether to send self-defense forces overseas. that's the biggest change. the bills will enable japan to go to war. >> takashi shiraishi said japan can only be secure if there is security and peace in the rest of the world. >> translator: discussions that revolve too much around the constitution and the laws will lead to poor debate on national security. japan cannot cope with changes to the security environment without the legislation. >> aki okuda, a senior member of a student group that has been campaigning against the bills.
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>> translator: the prime minister's incomprehensible explanations have generated public concern and prompted people to rally nationwide. the conclusion is simple. the bills cannot be passed during the current diet session. they must be scrapped. >> diet members will have another public hearing on wednesday before holding a final question and answer session at the committee. leaders of the ruling camp are hoping the bills will pass at a plenary session of the chamber and become laws this week. position lawmakers are determined to block them. they're considering submitting a no confidence motion against the cabinet. diplomats from japan, south korea and china have met to lay the groundwork for a three-way summit. the countries' leaders are expected to get together in late october or early november.
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the officials held talks on tuesday in seoul, south korea. the summit will take place in that country. kazuya nashida, a senior official at japan's foreign ministry, told reporters that the officials confirm that the summit will focus on cooperation among the three nations. >> translator: we confirmed that we'll bring past efforts and a resolve for future cooperation to the forthcoming summit talks. >> chinese president xi jinping and park kuhn high agreed to arrange the summit when park was in beijing earlier this month. shinzo abe and park plan to hold talks on the sidelines of the meeting. the leaders of japan and vietnam have agreed to step up cooperation to improve vietnam's maritime patrolling capabilities. prime minister abe met in tokyo with the general secretary of vietnam's ruling communist party nguyen phu trong. >> translator: i'm delighted the
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relationship between japan and vietnam has been developing in various fields through a broad strategic partnership. >> abe confirmed a plan for japan to give vietnam used ships for patrol activities amid china's increasing activities in the south china sea. the two leaders agreed to work together to maintain maritime and aviation order based on the rule of law in the region. haze from forest fires is affecting millions of lives in indonesia and singapore. they have sent more troops to the sumatra islands to fight the fires and the smog. it caused schools to close in koal lumpur and three nearby provinces.
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>> in koala lumpur, an increasing number of people wear masks on the streets. tourists said they were surprised. southeast asia has been suffering from this haze for years. the cause is slash and burn farming practices across the indonesian islands of sumatra and kali mantan. more than a thousand troops have been trying to put out the flames since last week. joku said on monday he's demanding strict legal action against those responsible for starting the forest fires, including the revoking of land permits. indonesia's neighbors are increasingly demanding tougher measures to clean up the choking air.
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a group of stargazers are working in an unusual location, an ancient tomb in western japan. their studies have shed new light on the history of astronomy in northeast asia. a tomb is believed to have been built around 700 a.d. inside the chamber, a map of the heavens is painted on the ceiling above the coffin. this is thought to be the world's oldest precise astronomical chart. it shows around 350 stars, and its origin is a mystery. >> reporter: archeologists did the initial work on the chart. now astronomers are doing their first major research, and they've been astonished at what it shows. >> this is a 2,000-year-old time capsule which makes it extremely valuable. it's impressive and even wondrous that it still exists.
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>> reporter: the chart was believed to have originated from the korean peninsula. it is not thought the technology to make it existed in japan at that time. it's similar to this chart observed during the kokodo era that ended in the late 17th century. in the latest research, astronomers trying to date the chart base their calculations on the earth's angle of rotation. the tilt of the earth's axis changes over time, which alters our view of the heavens. by comparing the two views, astronomers can estimate which era the map came from. this man works with japan's astronomical observatory. he based his study on five stars located near the circle. he thinks they were plotted accurately because they shine brightly in the night sky.
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he charted a simulation of their movements since 200 b.c. the best match with the chart turned out to be around 400 a.d. this could mean the stars were mapped some 300 years before the tomb was built. the next question is from where the observations were made. the most distant star in the chart offers a clue. the star, named pinopus, can only just be seen in certain seasons from japan and the korean peninsula, and not from high latitudes. previous studies estimated the kitura chart was observed from the capital of modern day ping yang. but this is nearly 30 degrees north. it could hardly ever be seen there. so he started to look at the stars in the innermost circle on the chart. on the left is the kitura chart.
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on the left is the stars seen at a latitude of 30 degrees north near punyang around 400 a.d. on the kitura chart, the star is on the circle. but on the other map, the star is inside the circle. if the observer moves south, the stars move closer to the circle. at a latitude of 34 degrees north, there is an almost exact match with the kitura chart. >> translator: at 33 degrees, the star is a little bit out of line. i think 34 degrees is definitely the spot. >> reporter: the cities located at 40 degrees north are luoyang and onyang, both capitals of china. could they have originated from any of those cities? if any charts seizure vooifurvi
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t could be the key to unlocking the mystery of ancient astronomy. tens of thousands of people in california aren't able to go home. wildfires are spreading in the north and people there are hoping for some rain. we are joined with the latest. >> reporter: yes, catherine, i'm glad to tell you we are looking at some precipitation which is favorable for some of the firefighters out there in the pacific. we are looking at those fires still raging, though. we do have some pictures coming out from the area to show you the conditions. wildfires are scorching the ground, as you can see here, over northern california. one person has died and 23,000 people have been displaced by two wildfires. the fires have burned hundreds of homes, residents in middletown were battered by one of the fires and were forced to flee their homes, and 6,000 forest fires have occurred this
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year, which is about 1,500 more than this time last year. well, this is due to that drought condition that we have been looking at. exceptional drought covers much of california, but as i mentioned, there is some precipitation. we do have the oncoming system and the onshore flow from the ocean creating patches of showers. but then again, these sudden bursts of showers on dry land could create flash flooding. in fact, we had an incident yesterday that occurred because of the rapid rising of the stream in a desert in utah, which actually killed nine people because several vehicles were washed away. beneficial rain for some firefighters out there and people who are devastated with the wildfires. but there are going to be some chances of flash flooding which could be very dangerous as well, so this is something to be watching out for. you see this incoming system which will be providing a lot of rainfall, about 30 to 50
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millimetres in just a short span. but to the east of this, we are looking at the dust storm all the way towards the north and it's pulling a lot of that hot air. gorgeous weather out here a krs chica -- across chicago, philadelphia and d.c. over in the water near the marian islands, we had a rainstorm that was a tropical depression but it did upgrade to a tropical storm overnight. it could make its way to vassar islands. it could bring stormy conditions. it might become a severe tropical storm on its way over the warm waters. not really affecting the marian waters but wind gusts reaching 90 miles an hour and its name is cambodian and means a tree. what was once a tropical storm,
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vamco is low intensity. there will be lots of chances of flooding, especially in thailand. a stationary boundary will be forming. that will be dropping a lot of rain, about 150 millimetres to 180. enjoy the dryness while we can in tokyo at 25 degrees. a quick look here in europe. we have heard about the avalanche that killed at least seven people in france. it could be the cause of that storm system that ripped through the area. we have another incoming system and the conditions are similar. so anywhere along the jet stream and near it, we are looking at some thunderstorms. but to the south of that, hot and dry conditions, especially, for example, in warsaw hitting 27 degrees, and that's likely to continue for the next few days. well above average rains, so these are areas where you should be watching out for heat stroke. now for your extended forecast.
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. and that wraps up thpis edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thank you very much for staying with us.
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host: hello and welcome to "global 3000." when you pick up your mobile phone to tweet, check your emails or even make the odd phone call, do you ever wonder what makes our phones so smart? the raw materials needed are often mined under slave like conditions. today we head to eastern congo to learn more. and here's what else is coming up. not for sale. how farmers in paraguay are fighting to keep their land. cold milk in a hot place. how to keep a cow happy in the desert. and, safe streets. meet the outreach workers trying to reduce violence in baltimore.

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